Figure Eight Island property owners last year voted down a plan for a terminal groin at Rich Inlet, but U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists are still working on an environmental study for the project.
Topsail Beach’s Request for Sand Site Stalled
The Corps will not seek an exception to federal restrictions in order to designate an area of Banks Channel as a sand source for Topsail Beach re-nourishment projects, but town officials aren’t giving up the idea entirely.
Groups, Planners Agree on SUP Zoning Rules
Business groups, residents and environmental advocates say they support a compromise New Hanover County planners have reached on proposed zoning permit rules for industry.
North Topsail Looks to Fast-Track Groin Study
A firm in contention to conduct the environmental study for North Topsail Beach’s proposed hybrid terminal groin/jetty project plans to use data from a previous study to fast-track the process and save money.
Bird Island ‘Mayor’ Frank Nesmith Looks Back
Others now lead tours of the coastal reserve, but Frank Nesmith, 90, the man whose love for Bird Island sparked the effort to spare it from development, still enjoys connecting with kindred spirits.
Corps Eases Living Shoreline Permit Process
The Corps of Engineers has approved the first nationwide permit for the construction and maintenance of living shorelines, streamlining the approval process for waterfront property owners.
Judge Halts Topsail Beach Building Permits
A judge has blocked Topsail Beach from issuing building permits for a stretch of oceanfront lots, a move prompted by a lawsuit brought by property owners upset about the town’s recent repeal of its dune protection ordinance.
Topsail Beach Repeals Dune Ordinance
Rather than add controversial provisions to accommodate development, Topsail Beach commissioners voted 4-1 Wednesday to simply scrap the town’s longstanding dune-protection ordinance.
Property Owners Divided Over Dune Rule
Topsail Beach property owners, some with their lawyers, turned out Saturday for the first of two public hearings over proposed changes to the town’s dune-protection ordinance.
EPA to Navassa Residents: Get Involved
Environmental officials and others tasked with cleaning up the former Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp. site in Navassa urged residents last week to participate in planning for future uses of the Superfund site.
Past Hurricanes Have Led to Tighter Rules
It’s unclear what, if any, regulatory changes may happen as a result of Hurricane Matthew’s destruction, but past storms have brought about more stringent building codes, dune ordinances and flood maps.
Coastal Sketch: Jan Harris of Sunset Beach
Jan Harris of Sunset Beach has been fighting environmental injustice for a long time, and her efforts to protect the natural beauty of her beloved beach town continue.
New Hanover Board Tables Permit Action
New Hanover County commissioners tabled on Monday a public hearing and expected vote on proposed zoning ordinance changes that included a new special-use permit for heavy industry.
‘Many’ Figure Eight Owners Haven’t Voted
As the world’s attention is focused on Election Day, a pending vote on a controversial plan to build a terminal groin on Figure Eight Island may not have generated the response proponents wanted, so far.
Plan Pitched to Allow Homes, Protect Dunes
Topsail Beach officials have proposed rule changes they say could preserve protective sand dunes while allowing home construction on lots now deemed unbuildable.
Time Granted for Figure 8 Shorebird Study
The Army Corps of Engineers has granted more time for federal wildlife officials to study the effects Figure Eight Islands proposed terminal groin will have on piping plovers.
